Virginia was regaining her self-possession every moment now. Courage was surging through her nerves in increasing power. Her eyes commenced to blaze. "Your effrontery is offensive. Your meaning an enigma!" she indignantly replied. "Indeed! Then I'll make it plain," he hissed. "I want you to cover my flight for liberty. "You see I have escaped," he went on rapidly. "The officers are baffled--my trail so far is undiscovered." "You mistake!" she corrected, with surprising coolness and decision. "By the dispensation of an inscrutable, but just Providence, the blackguard's trail is blazed--the trap is sprung and you cannot escape!" Rutley's eyes snapped fire. He saw that a policy of sneering and bullying persuasion to aid him would fail ignominiously. He must use force. His aspect became black and threatening. "Damn you!" he hissed. "See here, moments are precious. The game too desperate. Beware! You must find a place of concealment for me. The loft has storerooms. Come, and in the darkness of tonight you must aid me to clear from the premises." "Never!" she resolutely exclaimed, her eyes ablaze with indignation. "Soft! Not so loud, my fair partner," Rutley cautioned. "You led me into this scrape. You must help me out of it." "Let me pass!" And she motioned for him to stand aside. He did not move. "Do you deny me?" she said, sternly. "Not so fast, my dear. I intend to keep you near me, as a hostage for my escape. No harm shall befall you if you are tractable," he went on. "And I again warn you that you must speak guardedly and softly or I shall be compelled to gag you and bind you and carry you to a place of concealment. Oh, I'll see to it that you shall not have the satisfaction of betraying my hiding place." "Incarnate monster; dare you imprison me?" "Only for a few hours, until the dead of night blackens all objects alike--then I shall go forth, leaving a note to announce your hiding place. Do you prefer to be hidden in a trunk, or shall it be among the old rummage in the loft?" Though his manner of address was faultlessly polite, his face was as colorless and impassive as marble, and his voice low, calculating and cold. Virginia paled as she took in the meaning of this purpose, and her voice quivered with a note of fear, as drawing her slender form erect in semblance of defiance she said: "Would you strike down a defenseless girl?" "I am troubled with no qualms of conscience when dealing with an enemy, be that enemy man, woman or a scorpion. Come! We have wasted too much time already." He stepped lightly toward her. Virginia anticipated his move and placed the table between them. Many small articles incident to a lady's toilet were on the table. Rutley perceived that should the table be upset in a scuffle, he could not hope for time to gather up and rearrange the toilet articles, and then the spilt powders and perfumes on the carpet would surely indicate a struggle having occurred in the room.